Showing posts with label The Speedways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Speedways. Show all posts

Saturday, May 10, 2025

The Year of The Speedways!



Any regular reader of this blog knows that The Speedways are one of my favorite bands. It's rare for me to ever do interviews, yet this is now my second interview with The Speedways. But there's a lot to talk about as the band finds itself in the midst of a very significant year. The group recently parted ways with guitar player Mauro Venegas and released a fantastic new single called "Visiting Hours" earlier this year. The band is planning to finish recording a new album (its third as a full band) this year and has some really big gigs coming up. I spoke to Matt Julian and Adrian Alfonso about all these things and more! 

Rutledge: Let's start by talking about your new single "Visiting Hours." The A-side was the first new song you had released in a couple years. It's a brilliant song and definitely one of your very best to date. Most people would say it's "classic" Speedways. How did "Visiting Hours" come to be, and where there any particular musical influences that helped bring it to life? 

Matt: Cheers! Yeah, it's one we all really liked and knew could be a potential single. I wanted to have something with a prominent piano because we haven't really done that yet. It's got a nice hook.

Elvis Costello regularly comes up when people talk about our sound — and of course I'm a big fan and have a ton of his records. But I think Squeeze and Joe Jackson were just as strong an influence when I wrote "Visiting Hours." 

Adrian: Matt mentioned he had this song for a while but hadn't gotten 'round to recording one of his usual demos. After a festival gig in Kortrijk, we were at the house of the person who was putting us up that night. He was a classically trained violinist and played clarinet, and his house wasn't the usual English terrace we're used to. Our driver Bernd packed some acoustic guitars, and there was another around the house. We had a bottle of whiskey, which was flowing liberally, so we all were having a bit of a laugh playing stuff. Then Matt mentioned "Visiting Hours" and teased us with a bit of the song, and we all asked for more. Then I found myself singing along the chorus for days after. I knew it had to be a single.

Rutledge: Without giving away everything, can you tell us a little about what "Visiting Hours" is about lyrically?

Matt: It's about waiting for forgiveness after a falling out. "We don't talk, we sleepwalk into each other. God it's boring" — having the exact same arguments over & over again. "I loved you when the screws were on tight, I loved you when you found your appetite — I loved you when things were more secure in the beginning. When we were hungry. "She won't bring me flowers on visiting hours'' — when the apology lacks any feeling after being left to stew in the doghouse for ages. My usual metaphor stuff!

Rutledge: On the B-side, "Now That I Know How" is a nice complement to "Visiting Hours." This is another great pop song, but it has a slightly different vibe musically. What would you like your fans to know about this song?

Matt: It's a three-chord rock n roll song built around a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers groove. The song's about learning to stand up for yourself. We opened the shows with it on our recent tour of Spain. We're gonna leave it exclusive to this release. It won't be on the next LP or CD. If you want it, then you have to buy this record!

Rutledge: You are now a trio. How, if at all, has this changed the dynamics of the band? Does it feel different to now be a lean "power trio"? 

Matt: We're only a trio temporarily! We will find a permanent guitar player at some stage, but for now, we'll make the next album as a trio and have Conor Lumsden on guitar for our 2025 gigs. Conor is perfect for the band, but of course he has Music City & The Number Ones on his plate. He's a good pal and a brilliant artist. It's great to have him on board for the live shows.

Lineup changes aren't easy, and it has changed the dynamic, but I think anybody who's in a band understands how it goes sometimes. Musical differences, a change of heart and a fresh start etc.

In terms of what we're looking for, it's more important that you can sing than play guitar to any spectacular level. If you've got a good voice and understand harmonies but are just a decent guitar player, you've got the gig — as long as you're cool too, obviously!

Adrian: Of course with one less person in the band, it has meant that the three of us have had to step up and try and share the workload as best we can.

We're still very independent. Matt runs the social media and web store. I do the graphics and admin. And of course Kris deals with booking tours.

As far as it goes, a good song can get away with the basic elements. However, a big part of Matt's songwriting is putting in loads of mini hooks, be them vocals, guitar, synth, or otherwise. So in a live setting, we do still much prefer to have a four-piece band, and we have been lucky to have Conor as he lives in London now.

When it comes down to decision-making as a three-piece, it's gotten a bit simpler. It's an easy majority vote on stuff. That being said. we've not hit any disagreements yet. *touch wood*

Rutledge: What can you tell us about your next album and how it might different (or similar) in comparison to the last one? 

Matt: It's partly written and partly recorded, but because of the changes in the band, we decided to re-think things a little and go somewhat back to the drawing board. I reckon just over half of the album is written, and there are a few new ideas floating around. 

My hunch is it might be a bit more "pop" than the last LP, but let's see how it goes over the next few months!

Adrian: We recorded half of it; we are finishing up writing the other half. 

We aren't trying to give too much away, but we aren't shying away from anything influence wise.

Rutledge: I suppose for a band like The Speedways, it can be a challenge when you're writing new music. You don't want to make the same record over and over, but I would imagine you want to still sound like The Speedways. How do you navigate that dilemma from a creative standpoint? Is there still room for this band to continually evolve without people thinking, "Man, they sure went to shit"? 

Matt: I think getting the balance right comes fairly easy, mainly because 100% of my songs are written on an unplugged guitar sitting on my bed. Whatever comes out comes out. "Visiting Hours" is something a bit though different, I suppose.

I think bands at our level can maybe outstay their welcome; the novelty wears off whatever you write. I enjoy the challenge of trying to write songs that all different kinds of people will like.

Adrian: I honestly don't know; I think we aren't trying to force something that isn't there. 

I think personally we've all been through a lot of different things, which will alter the themes of the songwriting. But we always just write about what we know or see, or things we've heard at the pub.

Rutledge: Can you tell us about some of the live shows you have coming up this summer and what your fans have to look forward to?

Matt: Yes! We play the Stardumb Festival (Stardumb 25) in Rotterdam on June 6th. Stefan contacted us and said he'd love us to play but that he only intended to have bands who had released records on the Stardumb label. So we said, "Well, we're putting a new single out soon if you'd like to be part of the release," and he was up for it. It's a really cool lineup and great to be involved!

We also play the CalaPop Fest in Spain on September 19th. We were due to play in 2020 until everything went to shit, but five years later we can finally make it happen! Antonio is a friend of the band and has supported us a lot.

There are a couple more confirmed dates too but we haven't announced them yet, so I'll keep that under my hat for now. Keep your eyes on our social media for when & where!

The set lists will be similar to what we played in Spain back in February/March: a mixture of songs we hadn't played in a while with all the "hits" and a few off-the-cuff covers!

Rutledge: You will be playing with Exploding Hearts in October. I would imagine you are excited about that. How did you get involved in that tour, and what does it mean to be playing with Terry? 

Adrian: It's a pretty big deal. In terms of power pop, their importance and influence in the genre is undeniable.  A lot of us assumed we would just never see them live. Then back when Terry and Louie dropped their first single, through a mutual friend Terry got in contact with me about doing the art for their second single, and we ended up becoming friends. 

I'd asked him over the years if he had any plans to come to Europe for a gig, and it didn't seem likely. I let him know we'd be in California in September last year, and he mentioned he was living out in Joshua Tree. And we were already thinking of heading out there to see a friend in Palm Springs and also do a bit of Gram Parsons–themed sightseeing. So we went over to the bar Terry was managing to grab some dinner and hang out a little. As we were leaving, he said, "Hey, so next summer, you guys with us." Then true to his word, he got in contact asking if we were free and put our names forward with the booker.

We're all really excited to be playing with them. Just in a personal level, we all already get along with Terry and his band. But as fans, we are also really thrilled to be able to hear those songs live in the UK.

Matt: Yeah, it's an honour for us to be asked by Terry to do this. We're all huge Guitar Romantic fans. Terry's put together a great band (we're friends with those guys too). It will be a special tribute and very special to hear those songs played live. I definitely feel we're the right band to be part of the night.

As Adrian says, we met up with Terry during our West Coast U.S. tour last year. He made us the best cocktails ever and was great company. We sat and talked about music for a couple of hours. 

He told us that he planned to bring the Exploding Hearts shows to Europe, and would we want to be part of any UK dates — of course we said yes! Looking forward to that one a lot.

Anyone looking to purchase the "Visiting Hours" 7" can follow one of the links below. And be sure to follow The Speedways on social media for updates on more shows and the new album!

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Friday, April 11, 2025

The Speedways - "Visiting Hours" 7"


I was absolutely floored when The Speedways dropped the new track "Visiting Hours" back in February. It was the band's first new song in nearly two years, and it did not disappoint. If you have been waiting patiently for "Visiting Hours" to come out on record, now is a fine time to make your move. The single (co-released by Stardumb, Beluga, and FOLC Records) has been pressed and will be shipping very soon. The A-side instantly rocketed to the top tier of my list of all-time favorite Speedways songs — and that puts in it some very good company. The track that's new to me here is the B-side, "Now That I Know How." This song channels Tom Petty via The Beatles, and who in the world wouldn't be into that? Lyrically, this is a vintage Matt Julian dissection of a doomed relationship. That guitar riff will really grab you, and Julian's vocal delivery is spot-on as per usual. In some alternate universe where 1979 never ended, this 45 has already gone gold! This is a very strong return for The Speedways, and that bodes well as we await the band's fourth LP due out later this year. Now go order the vinyl while you still can!

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Friday, February 21, 2025

The Speedways - "Visiting Hours"


Wait! What? The Speedways have a brand-new single out? How was I not aware that such a thing was in the works? I must be losing my touch! This is, as they say, kind of a big deal. It's the first new Speedways song since "Tell Me I'm Wrong" was released nearly two years ago. And I'll be damned if they didn't just turn out the best song Elvis Costello never wrote! Matt's in rare form here — writing about matters of the heart (specifically forgiveness) with great eloquence and an insight into such matters that can only be attained through personal experience. There are so many quotable lyrics in this song, so I'll just let you listen and read along rather than singling any out. The band, now a trio, hits that power pop sweet spot just right. And of course that chorus is absolute perfection. Given the long wait for new Speedways material, my expectations were sky-high. But "Visiting Hours" is everything I wanted a new Speedways song to be and then some. It manages to be classic Speedways without succumbing to the sort of self-imitation that can sink a band like this after a few albums. Stardumb, FOLC, and Beluga Records are teaming up to release it on vinyl in April, and then a new album is due out later this year. My god, I can't wait!

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Monday, October 09, 2023

The Speedways - Triple Platinum


Today The Speedways celebrate five years as a band with the release of their first best-of compilation. In a nod to KISS, they've titled it Triple Platinum. I am happy to report that none of these tracks have been remixed to capitalize on the disco craze, although the four cuts culled from the band's second album Radio Sounds have been remixed. The approach to this compilation was very straight-forward. The band picked four songs from each of its three albums to represent the story of The Speedways so far. The selling point for fans is that the songs off the debut album Just Another Regular Summer (essentially a Matt Julian solo record) have been re-recorded with the full band and sound amazing. I'm sure everyone will question the track selection and exclaim, "How dare they leave _____ off the record!" But that is the curse of filling your albums with nothing but hits. At least in this case, it was the band and not a bunch of corporate suits deciding which songs best represented the first five years of The Speedways. Honestly, this is a bulletproof collection of songs. I suppose I can say that because my favorite Speedways song ("In A World Without Love It's Hard To Stay Young") did make the cut. 

If you're wondering why in the hell you need this album when you already own the entire Speedways discography, I will say that the new recordings of the Just Another Regular Summer songs ("Seen Better Days," "Tonight You'll Find Love," "In Common With You," and the title track) are worth the price of admission. In particular, the new version of "Just Another Regular Summer" is stunning and truly epic. It might have been overkill if these guys had re-recorded the entire album, but having four full-band cuts that fully realize the potential of the original versions is a real treat. If you're familiar with The Speedways but have never made the commitment of buying a record, Triple Platinum delivers a satisfying cherry-pick from all three albums for the single price of £15.00. I think a lot of people will buy it simply because it's a cool package. And it's pretty neat that The Speedways are crossing the pond and touring the U.S.A. in support of this release. The tour kicks off in Brooklyn on November 2nd and takes the band up-and-down the Mid-Atlantic over a week. 

Obviously I am going to urge anyone reading this to check out The Speedways, who are one of my top two or three favorite bands. If you've been living in a cave since 2018 (and who could blame you if you have been?), Triple Platinum will give you the essence of one of the finest bands in modern-day power pop. If you're already a fan, the four new recordings on this release are a must-hear. Even with me already being familiar with all these songs, I've listened to this album frequently in recent weeks. I find it interesting that I'm this self-identified power pop geek, yet my favorite tracks on Triple Platinum are the widescreen anthems "In A World Without Love It's Hard To Stay Young" and "Just Another Regular Summer" — songs that transcend genre. I look forward to reviewing the next Speedways best-of in 2028!

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Monday, March 27, 2023

Matt Speedway - Cold Friends And Lemsip/Sunday Morning Acoustic Covers Vol​.​1



Following a fruitful 2022 that yielded seven collections of home recorded solo demos in addition to a new Speedways album, Matt Julian has returned with two more free EPs this month. Cold Friends And Lemsip was recorded the week Julian returned from Spain. He was miserable with a head cold and not in his finest singing form. Ironically, this is his strongest collection of homemade demos to date. "A Trip Down Enemy Lane" finds him at his cleverest and most cinematic. This is vintage Matt Julian widescreen drama featuring an unshakeable guitar hook and vivid lines such as "I saw you standing/waiting, stealing kisses in the rain." The song fully lives up to its title, which is saying something. If you're in the mood for a slightly twee-ish rainy day bummer love song, this one will hit the spot. "Sarah I Dare Ya" is a stone cold hit right off the bat. It finds Julian digging into his classic '60s pop influences and delivering an ace sing-along chorus. What makes Julian such an interesting and relatable songwriter to me is that he's not one-dimensional. Sure, he writes about heartbreak and love lost like a champ. But there's also that side of him that's hopeful and fearless about the possibilities of love. "Sarah" explores that side of Julian's songwriting in the most wonderful way. If a proper Matt Speedway solo album is forthcoming, this song needs to be on it. With its acoustic guitars, harmonica, and slide guitar effect (facilitated by a bottle of Vicks First Defence!), "I Remember How Close We Used To Be" finds Julian as far removed from power pop as he's ever been. There's something so raw and powerful about this song that really hits me. It's all frayed voice and despairing sentiment with nothing to hide behind. I would describe the song as beautifully dismal. This one has potential. Plus the line "Being alone is hard on the nails" is too good to not appear in a print ad for a record someday. 

Sunday Morning Acoustic Covers Vol​.​1, just released yesterday, is exactly what the title suggests. It's made up entirely of cover songs, all recorded live in one long take. There's no real theme to the cover choices other than these being songs Julian loves. A couple of the selections are deep cuts from established Julian favorites (Tom Petty's "Square One," Roky Erickson's "For You'). The true gem of the lot is a rendition of Lana Del Ray's "Yes To Heaven" that has the feel of a Julian original. The EP concludes with Alison Kraus's "The Lucky One" and "Grow Old With You" from The Wedding Singer. I'm sure half of you thought Julian would have been more likely to cover "Somebody Kill Me," but he does a wonderful job with "Grow Old With You" — tapping into the sincerity and sweetness of the song without making it over-sappy. While Julian promises he won't make a habit of recording acoustic covers EPs, I certainly hope that he at least does another volume or two. It's fascinating to me when extraordinary songwriters reveal the songs that they love — especially when they're not obvious choices. 

As we get deeper and deeper into this Matt Speedway free demos series, the separation between The Speedways and solo Matt Julian is becoming clearer. And that's certainly the point. Even as The Speedways push the boundaries of power pop, they remain a power pop group fundamentally. Writing and recording at home, Matt Julian brings to life the songs in his head without any regard for how they fit a particular band or even a particular musical style. Some of these songs will never make it past the demo stage, but others will eventually be fully realized, properly recorded, and fondly remembered. If you're not yet following the Matt Speedway Bandcamp page, I highly recommend doing so. Free music from one of the best songwriters out there is simply too sweet of a deal to pass on.

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The Speedways - "Secrets Secrets"


Today we have a special event here in F & L Land: a double shot of Speedways related reviews! As you may or may not know, The Speedways have released their recent album track "Secrets Secrets" as a vinyl single with an unreleased B-side called "Tell Me I'm Wrong." In conjunction with the single release, Matt Julian has produced a DIY music video for "Secrets Secrets" — a low-budget homage to the iconic music video for Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues." "Secrets Secrets" was already one of my favorite tracks off of Talk of the Town (perhaps my #1 favorite), but this video gives me an added appreciation for the song since it highlights the lyrics. I'd heard this song dozens of times and loved it, yet there's something about reading every lyric that makes me understand the song more deeply. The song and video together tell a story, and Julian's direction is quite artistic. Anyone who can write lyrics like "and a mouth so dry the words they start to bleed" ought to be allowed to show them off!

If you already own Talk of the Town and are on the fence about buying "Secrets Secrets," I will say that the B-side is totally worth owning. Penned by Mauro Venegas, the snappy rocker "Tell Me I'm Wrong" sounds like something Elvis Costello would have been proud to have released circa 1980. There's nothing better than a song that can tear out your heart yet still make you want to dance. I've been waiting for some band to appropriate the football cliché "It's the hope that kills you" for use in a love song, and of course The Speedways were the ones to do it! "Tell Me I'm Wrong" is no throwaway. I'm encouraging all my radio host friends to play it often and turn it into a hit in its own right! If you want the "Secrets Secrets" vinyl, hit up The Speedways' web store while supplies last!

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Monday, January 02, 2023

Matt Speedway - December & I


In addition to releasing one of the year's best albums with his band The Speedways, Matthew Julian had quite the prolific 2022 as he managed to release eight free demo EPs on his solo Bandcamp page. The latest of these EPs, December & I, features, in Julian's own words, "two real good 'uns, a couple of promising ones, and a filler." He's been turning out these demos at such a speedy rate that I've struggled to keep up with reviews. But I have to say this: one of the coolest things about being a music fan in the digital age is the ability to sometimes hear your favorite artists share works in progress in real time. My god, I would have freaked if I'd been able to hear all of Billy Joel's demos when I was 10 years old! Half the fun with these Matt Speedway demos is trying to figure which songs are supposed to be the hits and which ones are supposed to be the filler. It's totally a guessing game since songwriters are almost always their own worst critics. For me, the high points of December & I are the first two songs, "Enjoy Yourself With An Ordinary Fool" and "Camera Shy." That certainly makes sense, doesn't it? The latter is what you might call a "vintage" Matthew Julian song and seems a likely candidate for inclusion when all these demo tracks are cherry-picked to make a proper album. But there's something about the former that really grabs my attention. It's more elegant and intimate — the kind of song that comes pouring out of you when you're recording bedroom demos and ends up being a stroke of genius. I love how these lyrics could be construed as either romantic or dire depending on your interpretation:

Enjoy yourself, this could be the start of something else/
with someone who's just an ordinary fool like you/
an ordinary fool who'll take you back to a time/
when the private lives of humankind had a chance to breathe/
ordinary fools in love, the one that you were dreaming of will take you there

Nice Joe Jackson allusion too! 

Elsewhere, "Kim Wilde & Lemonade" is a promising number in a new wave/synth pop style. "In The Cold Light Of Christmas Day" is not so much a Christmas song as it is a quite superb love song that references Christmas. I'm hearing echoes of Elvis Costello on this one. Who knows? Maybe this will become Julian's own "Last Christmas" and send him skyrocketing to further fame and perennial royalties. 

Matthew Julian's final tally for his 2022 demos is 39 original songs and a KISS cover. That's an amazingly productive year not even considering the brilliance of The Speedways' Talk of the Town. For a recording artist, that kind of constant activity can be a great way to maintain one's sanity. Even if Julian ultimately decides that there are only 1.5 keepers per demo, that still means that he already has a great 12-song album written and demoed! He told me last year that he's undertaken this project for himself but will be happy if it brings pleasure to 5 or 6 people. That sounds a whole lot like my own approach to this blog all these years! It takes guts to share unfinished songs with the entire world, but fans like me consider it a real treat to be able to hear all this stuff. If you're a Speedways fan and haven't yet given these demos a listen, I highly recommend digging into all of them. How can you beat free pop music?

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Friday, November 18, 2022

The Speedways - Talk of the Town


Talk of the Town is the third album by The Speedways and one of my most eagerly awaited releases of 2022. It lives up to its expectations and then some. This release on Snap!! Records, Hurrah Musica, and Beluga Records is the third album in a trilogy that began over four years ago with Just Another Regular Summer  — Matt Julian's love letter to a special moment in his life. It was designed as a one-off solo project, and I lamented falling in love with a new band that was essentially over as soon as it started. But then Julian reconsidered the dissolution of his one-man project and recruited Mauro Venegas, Adrian Alfonso, and Kris Hood to join him in making The Speedways a proper band. The masses rejoiced, and 2020's Radio Sounds became one of those rare sequels that are even better than the original. I named it my #1 album of 2020. A global pandemic sidelined the band for the better part of two years, but now The Speedways return with part three of their love story. Every word of it is true, and every note is a delight. 

Talk of the Town is a difficult record for me to describe. In a way, it's the perfect power pop record. In another way, it finds The Speedways moving past the bounds of power pop. So here's how I'll put it: if you loved Just Another Regular Summer and Radio Sounds, you'll love Talk of the Town. That's a guarantee. But there are also people who might not generally describe themselves as fans of power pop or who have never even heard of power pop who will love this record as well. This is an album for anyone who enjoys melody-driven pop and rock and relates to songs about love, loss, jealousy, and heartbreak. Yes, it's a vintage Speedways album. But it delivers a sound that's bigger and (in the words of the band) more cinematic than ever. In terms of musicianship and production, this album far exceeds its predecessors. This would have been a major label release a few decades back. It's also a total group effort featuring songwriting contributions from three members and lead vocals from both Julian and Venegas. Like Radio Sounds, Talk of the Town is so stacked with pop gems that it's hard to identify which songs are the hits. The rocker "Dead from the Heart Down" is that stone cold killer leadoff track that every great album needs. "Secrets Secrets" would be a chart-topper in some alternate universe where they still play great pop songs on the radio. The 7" cuts "Shoulda Known" and "A Drop In The Ocean" still have Speedway fans brawling in pubs over which of the two is better. "Weekend 155" and "Monday Was The Start Of The Stars (To Forgive & Forget)" deliver widescreen drama in spades. "A Song Called Jayne & A Lie Called Love" features a hook that will be stuck in my head until the end of time. With its funky rhythm and intricate guitar work, the title track finds The Speedways exploring new territory to brilliant effect. If we don't someday hear "Wrong Place Wrong Time" playing over the closing credits of an epic romance movie, it will be a terrible shame. Stop me before I mention every song on the album! 

As I consider their existing trilogy of albums, I find it remarkable how seamlessly The Speedways have evolved from a DIY solo project to an internationally beloved rock and roll band. One man's artistic vision has become the shared vision of four exceptional musicians with complementary styles and talents. Regardless of who's writing or singing, each of Talk of the Town's 12 (or 13) tracks sounds familiarly like The Speedways. Talk of the Town doesn't dramatically alter the band's approach, but it continues a progression that's been evident with each new release. You can still count on The Speedways to churn out timeless three-minute love songs with hooks for days. But I love that these guys are mixing in everything from Thin Lizzy guitars to '80s synths to Dexys homages and making it all sound like it was meant to be. Perhaps it was. The title track — perhaps Julian's crowning achievement as a songwriter — came to him in a dream. Is it possible to make a crowd-pleasing power pop album even as you're pushing the boundaries of what the genre can be? The Speedways have shown us that the answer is yes! Talk of the Town releases this coming Monday in the digital and CD formats. Vinyl will be out next month. Pre-orders are live now, so hop to it!

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Tuesday, October 25, 2022

An interview with The Speedways!


I rarely do band interviews for this blog. But I could not pass up the opportunity to speak to one of my favorite bands, The Speedways! In advance of the release of their amazing new album Talk of the Town, Matt and Mauro from The Speedways were kind enough to answer a few of my questions. Enjoy! 

F & L: You have a new album called Talk of the Town releasing very soon. Could you tell us a little about this album and how it might be different from the last one?

Matt: The recording process was different this time. We tracked as a full band, so the takes are 'live', so to speak. Then we overdubbed the vocals, lead guitar, keyboard etc. I think it definitely gives the songs more energy. 

Influence-wise, we tried a few more things. We all love soul, '80s pop and '70s rock as much as the usual suspects, so there's a new flavour to our overall sound for sure. 

Mauro: The influences are probably a bit wider, or more unexpected on this one - we were listening to all sorts and chucking all sorts of ideas into the mix this time. Doing some things we hadn't done before on albums was definitely a motivation, as well as trying to surprise people. Essentially, it's just us broadening what you'd think of as the "Speedways sound"!

F & L: The Speedways originated as a one-off solo project but became a proper band in 2018. With this new album, you have a true full-band effort featuring singing and songwriting contributions from multiple members. Yet it all sounds distinctly like The Speedways. In what ways has this band evolved since the four of you first got together?

Matt: It's strange because we hardly ever get chance to rehearse! But we do seem to have a telepathic tightness and shared headspace when it comes to being Speedways. 

I mean, originally "The Speedways'" was an alias I gave myself in order to sing my songs, and as you say, the intention was only to make Just Another Regular Summer, but it's evolved massively since then. The new album is definitely the result of that evolution.

F & L: Let’s talk about the making of Talk of the Town. This was your first major release post-COVID. What was it like when you got together and started rehearsing new material? Had some of those song ideas been floating in your heads for a while?

Matt: I hardly wrote a note during 2021, but I did have a dream that the next album would be called Talk Of The Town — hence why I eventually wrote the song "Talk Of The Town." 

I had "A Drop In The Ocean" knocking around for a couple of years, but all the rest of my contributions were written specifically for the album. 

Rehearsal-wise, we worked really hard in the limited time we had. It's amazing how prepared and proficient we actually were when we recorded! Jez (producer) was a big creative presence as always.

Mauro: Getting back in the rehearsal room and getting stuck into the new material was great. It wasn't all plain sailing for sure; we were challenging ourselves and the songs, trying to hone them to be the best they could be, and that can lead to hitting some frustrating dead ends. Once we finally got into the recording studio, though, it was really satisfying to hear how prepared and in shape we were, in comparison to how we made Radio Sounds, for example. I think my ones kind of came in a bit of a batch around the same time, but some of them ("Wrong Place Wrong Time" in particular!) went through several rewrites before they made it to the band!

F & L: I’m sure people are dying to know about this one. Speedways’ songs are full of heartbreak and drama. To what degree are these songs autobiographical?

Matt: 100%. It was a bit different for me this time, though. I've said before that Just Another Regular Summer was a love letter to a special moment in my life. Radio Sounds was largely about what happened (and almost happened) after Regular Summer came out. They really are chapter 1 & 2 for me personally, I guess. My lyrics throughout Talk Of The Town have remnants and references to that story, but there are also other stories, less specific lyrics and a more guarded approach. 

There's always drama, disappointment, jealousy and romance, but most of all, I hope people get the sincerity. I mean it all, for better or worse!

Mauro: As far as the ones I wrote lyrics for, to some degree, definitely - looking back to recent, or not so recent situations, thinking about past mistakes or whatever. There's some bitterness in there, but that can be a good way of getting that stuff out of your system, haha!

F & L: With this new album, you’ve managed to satisfy the power pop fans even as you transcend the genre. I might even say it’s a power pop album without strictly being a “power pop” album. What are your thoughts about how the term “power pop” may or may not describe The Speedways?

Matt: I guess like most genre titles, it's just a convenient term of reference, really. It gives people a rough idea of what you're gonna sound like, but beyond that it doesn't really matter. I'm happy for people to call us power pop; there have been some pretty great bands over the years that have carried that label too.

Mauro: It's a good question! I have pretty low tolerance for all those "This doesn't count as power pop" conversations myself. I'd say we clearly fit the tag, because I see it as a broad church!

F & L: What's your favorite song on the new album, and why? 

Matt: That's a tricky one because you could make a case for any of them, but just because it came to me in a dream and because we all had such good fun recording it, I'd go with the title track - but only just!

Mauro: Oof. Hard one. Changes a lot, but maybe a toss up between the title track and "Shoulda Known."

F & L: Please tell readers when and where they’ll be able to purchase Talk of the Town.

Matt: Ok, the album will be available to stream/download on Monday, November 21st! You'll also be able to get your hands on the CD that day too. The vinyl will be available a few weeks later on December 12th. Pre-orders for the CD and vinyl begin Thursday, November 3rd from our big cartel site - thespeedways.bigcartel.com

F & L: One more question for Matt: You’ve been releasing a lot of solo home demos on Bandcamp. What has been your motivation in sharing these songs with the world? Can we look forward to more?

Matt: My OCD means I have to keep making them so that the layout on the Bandcamp page is even. I'm not even joking! I have another full EP to go up soon (maybe next week) called The First Stone. 

I just really enjoy making them. Without sounding corny, I'm doing it for myself, and if 5 or 6 other people give it a listen, then great. I think they're some of the best songs I've ever written mixed in with some untidy misfires. It's fun, and it makes me happy. They're all very personal, lyric-wise. I like using sound clips. I've got Lana Del Rey telling me to shut up at the end of one song and Ally Sheedy talking about how she got her role in St Elmo's Fire on another. It all makes sense in my head. I have a Christmas song recorded called "In The Cold Light Of Christmas Day" which I'll put up at some point (probably Christmas) & then leave it there till next year. 

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Sunday, August 07, 2022

The Speedways - "Shoulda Known"/"A Drop in the Ocean"


Well this was a very nice surprise! I was fired up to write about a brand-new Speedways single at the end of this month. And then just like that, said single popped up on Bandcamp a few weeks early -- accompanied by a shiny new music video. On that note, let us welcome to the world the first new original songs from The Speedways in over two years! It's no secret that The Speedways are one of my favorite bands (perhaps even my singular favorite band at this point). I've been waiting a long time to hear these tunes, and they do not disappoint. "Shoulda Known"/"A Drop in the Ocean" will be available soon on vinyl from Snap!!/Hurrah Musica & Beluga Records. These two Matt Julian/Mauro Venegas compositions are vintage Speedways songs in both style and theme. "Shoulda Known" is two minutes and 53 seconds of power pop bliss featuring a knockout chorus and a typically impassioned lead vocal from Julian. As Speedways songs tend to do, "Shoulda Known" laments the devastation of heartbreak -- in this case, one that would have seemed inevitable to any clear-thinking person. But rarely do we as humans think clearly when it comes to matters of the heart. Your head tells you one thing, but your heart tells you another. And as you invariably find yourself picking up the pieces, you thank the heavens that Speedways songs exist. Shot & produced by Jez Leather, the music video for "Shoulda Known" is a fantastic-looking performance clip filmed on location at The Lexington in London. 

While I sometimes struggle to type the words "double A-side" with a straight face, the phrase is unavoidable in the case of this single. I've been so stymied trying to decide whether "Shoulda Known" or "Drop in the Ocean" is "the hit" that I've thrown my hands in the air and called it a tie. With "Drop in the Ocean," The Speedways have managed to churn out a radio-worthy ballad of such grandeur that it somehow makes me nostalgic for 1980s school dances that I never actually attended. Matt Julian always sings these epic tearjerkers like he means it. His secret is that he really does. And that melody is to die for. What kind of shit world are we living in where a song like this is not all over the radio?

"Shoulda Known"​/​"A Drop In The Ocean" is an absolute must for power pop fans. It arrives in advance of The Speedways' forthcoming LP Talk of the Town, which is due out in November. You can pre-order the vinyl single at The Speedways Bandcamp. That cover art looks familiar, doesn't it? Call me if you figure it out.

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Sunday, February 13, 2022

Matt Speedway - Dream Diary Of A Madman


The trilogy continues! Dream Diary Of A Madman is the second in a series of digital EPs featuring demos recorded at home by Speedways singer/guitarist Matt Julian. In preparation for a new Speedways album, Julian set himself a goal of writing & demoing two songs a week back in January. He hit his target and was able to lay the best three songs aside for the new LP. The five remaining demos became Dream Diary Of A Madman, which is currently a name your price download from Bandcamp. As was the case with Only Trouble Is, Gee Whiz, these recordings are all works in progress. Julian literally recorded them on his bed using a Tascam 4-track, a keyboard, and a couple of guitars. This makes for a more intimate listening experience compared to the more polished product of a Speedways record. You're getting the direct inspiration here. These songs are straight from the heart and soul of a talented songwriter without any outside input. And in this raw state, Julian's songwriting is never bound to any particular genre. These are the kinds of recordings that we sometimes never hear until an artist is dead and a record label is looking to make a buck. So I applaud Julian's generosity in sharing these songs with the world. I categorized Only Trouble Is, Gee Whiz as being for Speedways super fans only, but now I'm changing my tune. I'd actually recommend these demos to anyone who wants to hear one of our finest contemporary songwriters in the most stripped-down setting imaginable. 99% of power pop songwriters would envy being to classify "Strawberry Jeans" and "Angel Street Guitars" as "leftovers". "I'll Still Be Waiting For You" and "10th of the 10th" fully epitomize the title of the EP. The lovely "Daylight" convinces me that a Matt Speedway acoustic album would be absolutely worth buying. 

The Matt Speedway demos trilogy will conclude next month with another five-song installment called The Sincerest Form Of Flattery. And with the new album now in the early rehearsal stage, this is looking to be a big year in the Speedways universe. If these are the cast-off tracks, the actual album is going to be something else! 

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Monday, January 03, 2022

Matt Speedway - Only Trouble Is, Gee Whiz

I must preface this post by saying this is for Speedways fans only. But I would imagine that there are more than a few Speedways fans who regularly visit this blog. In advance of an anticipated "Speedways songwriting blitz", Matt Julian has placed a new demos collection on Bandcamp for our listening pleasure. Only Trouble Is, Gee Whiz is sub-titled "The Travelodge Tapes" as these songs were actually written in various Travelodges this past fall. He recorded these tracks on a Tascam 4-Track with a Casio keyboard and two guitars. And when he calls them demos, he's really means it. These are essentially "rough drafts". But they all flash great potential, and I would hope that at least some of them will be properly arranged and recorded in the future. If not, anyone who enjoys Matt's songwriting will enjoy these recordings. I like that these songs show some different sides of Matt as a songwriter. "She's Got a Melted Heart & A Frozen Mind" is perhaps the most "Speedways-ish" of these five demos. A title like that was was far too good to be lost to history! "In the Liverpool Rain" strikes me as the true gem of the lot. It's like a short story in song form. And while the Casio may have simply been a necessary tool to bring these songs to life, it seems willed by the musical gods on this achingly beautiful track. Matt channels his inner Johnny Marr on "Ronnie Spector & The St. Pancras Redemption", while "I Used To" conjures the spirit of Buddy Holly. Closing out the EP is a splendid version of KISS's "Beth". As the recent EP Borrowed & Blue attests, cover songs have always been a strong suit for The Speedways. Here Matt strips this iconic rock ballad down to its core, and his simple arrangement gives the song a sadness and sincerity I've never felt from the original.  

The songs comprising Only Trouble Is, Gee Whiz are essentially works-in-progress and should be treated as such. That said, they're really amazing songs. For us fans who have been eagerly awaiting new Speedways songs, these tracks will help tide us over. If these demos prove anything, it's that Matt Julian's talent is undeniable even when he's turning out homemade recordings. If you're a Speedways fan, this is must-hear stuff. And you can't deny that the price is right!

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Monday, May 31, 2021

The Speedways - Borrowed & Blue


As a Speedways super fan, I am excited to write about the band's new EP Borrowed & Blue purely for the benefit of other Speedways super fans. Borrowed & Blue is certainly not the ideal place to start if you are just looking to become familiar with The Speedways. It's a collection of cover songs -- two of which have already appeared on previous releases. For those of us who love this band, Borrowed & Blue is an absolute treat. The premise for this record is simple: the band decided to record covers of a bunch of its favorite songs. There was no real attempt to reimagine or transform these songs. While certainly receiving a bit of that Speedways touch, all of these covers are largely faithful to the original versions. And that's the whole point. This EP is not about The Speedways. It's about the songs. 

I find it appealing that none of these songs were obvious choices for a "power pop" band, yet they are all truly extraordinary pop songs. The songs selected were "11th Street Kids" by Hanoi Rocks, the ABBA classic "SOS", Kirsty MacColl's "They Don't Know", Billy Ocean's "Love Really Hurts Without You", and Roky Erickson's "Starry Eyes". As Matt Julian so wonderfully put it, he got to sing "two sweet female leads, some Caribbean soul, a bit of Finnish rock n roll, and a splash of extra terrestrial pop from Austin, Texas." This really cuts to the core of what The Speedways are all about: timeless tunes with great hooks and indelible melodies. The band's version of "11th Street Kids" is absolutely aces. If it causes at least one person to seek out a copy of Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks, that will be a win for everyone. You have to hand it to The Speedways for deciding to cover the best ABBA song. And if you think covering the best ABBA song is easy, you've probably never suffered through the version in the Mama Mia! movie. The Speedways give "SOS" the great modern treatment that it so thoroughly deserves. "Love Really Hurts Without You" was a massive smash in the U.K. in 1976 but remains largely unknown here in the States. If you enjoy The Speedways' version, be sure to check out the original. If you only know Billy Ocean from his 1980s output, you will be shocked! What can you say about "They Don't Know" other than that it's one of the most perfect pop songs ever written? While no one could come close to matching the original, The Speedways turn in a more than respectable showing. The band's take on "Starry Eyes" is also quite excellent and should point more than a few people in the direction of Roky Erickson's two definitive versions. 

Borrowed & Blue is available as both a compact disc and a 10-inch record.  The CD also features all of the tracks from Sunday Will Never Be The Same -- the digital live album The Speedways released this past December. Adrian Alfonso did the artwork for this release, and it looks absolutely stunning. If you're a Speedways fan, you will not want to miss this EP. It celebrates five songs that the band loves. And any song that The Speedways love is a song you ought to love as well! Finally: if you've somehow read this far without yet owning any Speedways music, go buy Radio Sounds for heaven's sake!

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Saturday, December 19, 2020

The Speedways - "This Is About A Girl Who Loves The Sun"


Today's post falls under the category of "for super fans only". The latest single from The Speedways consists of two songs that were released months ago plus a live track. If you've never heard The Speedways before, your best starting point is the band's latest LP Radio Sounds - in my opinion, the best power pop album of the last several years. But if you're already a massive Speedways fan as I am, "This Is About A Girl Who Loves The Sun" will be an essential addition to your record collection. Why? Well, because vinyl records are freaking cool! This one is a limited edition release from Snap! Records/Hurrah Musica on yellow sun-colored vinyl! 

I like that the band chose "This Is About A Girl Who Loves The Sun" as the third single from Radio Sounds. It's not an obvious choice for a single. It's more of a "deep cut" - the kind of grand, dramatic song that The Speedways always place at the end of an album side. This one is really heartbreaking. Poor Marilyn brought so much happiness to others yet experienced so little of her own. "The Day I Call You Mine" is also from Radio Sounds and probably my favorite song on the album. This just as easily could have been the A-side, but I love that they flipped it. The track exclusive to this release is a live version of "Just Another Regular Summer", the song that ended Side 1 of the album of the same name. This, of course, is the first recorded version of this song to feature the full band lineup of The Speedways. It was recorded at The Windmill Pub in Brixton this past September. The band has released that entire live performance as a digital EP titled Sunday Will Never Be The Same. Each purchase of the new 7" comes with a free download of the live EP. So if you're a Speedways super fan, that's a sweet deal. And if you're not a Speedways super fan, there's no way you've read so far. God, I love this band!


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